Life and Death
by rubikmaster
Summary: "On July 31 at 12 AM, the call that changed my life came." Allison Greene is a now 14 year old girl who joined a runaway group that realized the souls are here. T for violence. This is my first FanFic, so any constructive criticism is welcomed. Don't be afriad to review!
1. Prologue

**A/N: I now present to you the first chapter. Well it's more of a prologue. Keep in mind that this is my first FanFic, so I expect some constructive criticism. Enjoy!**

Prologue

July 30 11:59 PM (Real Time)

I'm running, and it's no light jog. There's no reason for me to be running at this pace at dusk. The trees are all wet from the storm. I don't know how I know, I just know. The crunches of twigs behind me tell me that they're catching up. Time is almost up. I must run! They've almost caught me! The cliff- NOOOOO-


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

July 31 12:00 AM

I woke up, hot and sweaty, from the dream that's been haunting me for weeks. Just then, my cell phone vibrated. _Mrs. Violet, _I thought,_ what does she want? It's midnight._

"Hello?" I asked.

"Ali, you need to get over to my house now," her voice was urgent, like something was seriously wrong.

"What is it?"

"You know how we used to joke about our end of the world plans? Well it's time. The end really is here. I don't know if you've noticed, but everyone just suddenly got… more peaceful all of a sudden. I think we've been invaded."

"You're joking, right? Some kind of prank call at midnight on my birthday?"

"NO! Ali, this is serious. I think you could be in danger. Have you noticed any changes in your foster parents recently?"

In truth, I had. Before I went to bed last night, they were rather loving. I just figured it was to make up for the beating I had gotten earlier that day.

"Well, maybe. What does that have to do with any-?"

Just then, the hallway floorboards creaked.

"Just a minute," I whispered. "I think they're coming."

"Don't let them get you!"

They came in. I lay very still.

"The poor girl. She was constantly harmed by our hosts," James whispered.

"Well, soon she won't have to feel anything anymore," Laura replied.

Then, I made my move. My fists were like lightening, something my unofficial big brother, Luke, taught me. Both adults were down for the count, and they never saw it coming. I rushed into the garage. I knew that, if we were really invaded, civilization would be deadly. Thankfully, the Hanna's were avid campers. I grabbed tents, backpacks, dehydrated food, and water galore; I shoved them into the trunk of the Hanna's Volvo.

I ran back in and packed what little clothes I had into a duffel bag.

I grabbed the keys to the car and backed out of the garage. Luke taught me how to drive when I was 11, in case I ever needed a quick getaway from a foster family. _I miss him so much,_ I thought.

I called Mrs. Vi back and put her on speaker. I set the phone down and let her voice guide me down Main Street and then to her house.

"Thank God you're alright!" she said, right before I was blinded.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

July 31 12:20 AM

"What was that for?!" I whisper-shouted.

"Had to make sure you weren't one of them. You never know, Ali, until you check the eyes," Luke said.

"So you _blinded me_!"

"No, that was me," Mrs. Vi said.

Once I regained my vision, I looked around. The Violet's has a cute little brick house on the corner of Main and Sumter. There was a nice little yard with lots of moon-lit flowers.

It was then that I realized I had never seen Mrs. Vi outside of a school setting. She led the Band of Poets, a club where we not only wrote, but we plotted. It's kind of ironic that we had planned what to do in case the world ended. Who would have thought we'd need it?

We hurried inside. In the living room, Mr. Violet and Mr. Irons were getting supplies together. Luke rushed to help them, with Jake following like a lost puppy dog. Adelle, Luke's real little sister, was sitting on the couch with Jane, Sabrina, and Kate, helping the girls take inventory. It was like getting ready for war which, in a way, I suppose we were.

"Hey! I haven't seen you in positively forever, Ali! Welcome back!" Adelle said excitedly. We were close friends, but Adelle didn't go to school with Sabrina, Kate, Jane, and me. Luke, Jake, and Adelle went to the other high school in Coltsberg, a small town up north. The seven of us did know each other from extracurricular and things of that nature.

In our town, there's no "junior high." Everyone went to high school after they finished elementary school. Next year, I was supposed to be in 9th grade, due to my early birthday…_Wait, today's my birthday! Well, at least I can spend it with my friends, even if I'm on the run._

"Hey kid. Welcome to the escape operation," Sabrina said. She's the oldest of the teens at 17 years old. Kate, Jane, and Luke are 16. Jake and Adelle are 15. And now, I'm 14.

Mr. Irons is Mr. Violet's best friend and roommate from college. They work together at the only factory Coltsberg has.

"Where's Sarah?" I asked. She was the only member of the Band not present.

"She-" Jane faltered.

"She didn't make it," Kate was barley able to choke it out.

The atmosphere changed immediately. I could sense that no one wanted to think about it. For a little while, we all just stood there awkwardly. Then, Mrs. Vi led me to the kitchen.

We loaded supplies into my stolen Volvo. We were very quiet, so as not to disturb the possibly alien neighbors.

July 31 2:00 AM

"Okay. Everything's packed. Where to now?" I asked. Everyone was scattered around the living room; some were on chairs and some were on the floor.

"Well, why don't we head down south? I'm sure we can find some more people on the way," Mr. Irons said. I have to say, I agreed with him. Up here, people camp all the time. The chances of being found were so big that it's not worth the risk.

"Where down south do you propose? I mean, we can't go to the desert," Kate countered.

"True. I thought it would be good idea to take refuge in small, abandoned towns. We can make use of the buildings there and try to go raid wherever and whenever we can. It's not great, but it's a start."

"That's not a bad idea. Does anybody else have anything? If so, we'll take a vote on your's after we vote on Harvey's idea," Mr. Violet said, smooth as can be.

There was silence.

"Okay. All in favor of heading down south?" Mrs. Vi said.

I raised my hand as high as it would go. It turns out, everyone agreed with Mr. Irons.

"Alright, looks like it's settled. We're going down south," Sabrina said, a smile on her face.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

July 31 8:00 AM

"Ali, wake up sweetie. You too, Jane. We're in Phoenix," Mrs. Vi said. All of the girls were in the Volvo. We were following Mr. Irons' truck.

I was groggy from the cat nap I took. The last thing I remember was staring out the window this morning as the sun started to rise. It was a real pretty sunrise; the sun glinted off the few clouds in the sky. It was the image of my dreams.

Back home, the sky was blue-gray, just like my eyes. Sometimes, on especially rare occasions, the sun would come out from behind the clouds. Its rays shimmered on my light blonde hair.

"Hey! Look outside!" Sabrina said. "I think we're in the belly of the beast. Everyone I've seen has those eyes! What do we do?"

"Call the guys! They need to know about this," Mrs. Vi replied. I looked out the tinted window. Sabrina was right! Then, I got a great idea.

"Guys, put on some sunglasses! Maybe we can blend in," I said.

Everyone scrambled around for the sunglasses we had stashed away. We figured we would need them in this climate. Turns out, they were more help than we thought.

Sabrina finished with her call. "Jake said they noticed, too. They didn't think to contact us about it, though. Ughh- MEN! Sometimes, I think they'd forget their heads if they weren't attached to the rest of them!"

"I'll second that motion," Jane agreed.

Eventually, the boys pulled off into an empty lot on the outskirts of town. We followed and parked next to them. The adults went to have a little private time on the other side of the lot. When everyone was situated, Kate let the guys have it.

"Let me get this straight. You thought it was a good idea to lead us through the city full of aliens, not tell us about it, and then act totally nonchalant when we mention it! What is wrong with you?!"

I'll admit, her outburst was a little extreme, but she voiced the thoughts that everyone in our car was thinking.

"_Sorry_. We just didn't want to worry you. I see you put on the sunglasses," Luke said.

"Really? I didn't know!" Adelle's voice was dripping with sarcasm. She and her brother had a love-hate relationship. One minute, they looked out for each other, the next, they were at each other's throats.

The back and forth continued for a while. The others joined in, but I tuned them out. I figured, _Someone's got to play guard_.

Just then, a Jeep pulled into the lot. I yelled, "Guy's, we've got company!"

Mr. Irons heard me and pulled out his gun. The others who happened to have guns followed suit.

"Whoa! Slow your roll! I'm human, too!" A man's voice called. Then, a person hopped out of the Jeep. He had brown hair and these piercing blue eyes. He looked to be in his 20s, but I'm not great with guessing age. "You know, it's a wonder you've survived this long, what with all the open fighting. It's how I could tell you were human. Oh, by the way, the name's O'Shea. Ian O'Shea. How 'bout you guys."

"Ali Greene," I called, rather cautious. Everyone else stated their names when the man got closer. The sun glinted off his eyes. He really was human!

"You can't be alone," Mr. Violet said. "Who else is with you?"

"All right. You can come out, guys. You too, Wanda!" Ian shouted.

Three figures got out of the car. I had to squint in the morning glare. One of them was larger, probably a man.

"Hey, I'm Jared." The man was well built, like Ian, and had darker hair. His eyes were kind, but I could tell he had been in a fight or two. "This is my girlfriend, Melanie." Her skin was olive toned, like Adelle's and Luke's, and she had green eyes.

The other girl didn't speak. She still had her sunglasses on. Her hair was blonde and curly. She looked to be about Sabrina's age, maybe a little younger, just on her size.

"Take off your sunglasses, honey. We might as well get this over with," he said to the girl. Then, turning to us, he said, "Wanda is the love of my life. She's also a soul. If any of you lays a violent finger on her, I cannot guarantee I won't rip you to shreds."

The girl came closer. While she was one of them, I didn't feel any anger towards her. If these people trusted her, why shouldn't I? There was one thing bugging me, though. What I didn't understand was how this Ian guy could find the "love of his life" in one morning.

Mrs. Vi, thinking the same thing, voiced her confusion, "How on Earth do you know she's the love of your life when we haven't been invaded longer than a day?"

"That's impossible," Melanie replied. "The invasion started- how many years ago, Jared?"

"Too many to count. You said the invasion started yesterday?" Jared was awestruck.

"Yeah. We used to live up north. We figured, drive down south and find an abandoned place to live in," Mr. Violet said.

"Hhmm. Well, if you don't have anywhere to go, why don't you come with us," Wanda said.

"You really have room for 10 more? Where do you live?" Jake was confused, but he wasn't the only one.

You'll see. There are like 40 of us now. Ten more won't hurt," Melanie said. Wanda looked back at her and the two shared an almost unseen smile. I could tell there was more to the pair than I could see.

"Let's go," Luke cried! "I want to meet these people!"

Everyone laughed. Ian added, "It'll be a long trip, so be careful. Also, never go over the speed limit! Your speed is the difference between life and death."

**A/N: Sorry about the wait. My Internet was being bad. Anyhow, I figured it was about time to merge. What do you think? Also, I'm trying to get each chapter longer as I go. This one's 994 words without the A/N. Thanks for all the support!**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

July 31 9:20 PM

I sat in the room the others called "The Rec Room." My friends were all asleep, but the adults were back in the mess hall/kitchen talking.

I thought about Jamie. I met him shortly after we arrived; he hadn't left my side until dinner, when he went to get both of us food. Then, he came and sat next to me. I was still kind of wary of all these strangers, so we sat at the back corner. Adelle, Jake, Luke, and Jane were sitting with Ian, Wanda, Jared, and Melanie. Kate and Sabrina were sitting with a woman named Lily and her friends.

Life was pretty simple in the caves. Jeb, the guy who owns the place (and makes it very clear that he does), led us on a tour in shifts. Adelle, Jake, and I have to go to "school" to make up for what were missing in the "real world." I don't mind as much as the other two do, because that means I get to spend more time with Jamie.

I think I'm in love. Every time he looks at me, my face heats up. Every time I look at him, his entire countenance lights up. Look at me; I'm using big words! _I can't wait to see-_

"Go to sleep already, Ali! You're thinking so loud I can practically see the wheels turning in your head," Kate loved to tease me, but she could become really grumpy if she didn't get enough sleep. This morning, she was one of the drivers on rotation, along with Sabrina and Mrs. Vi.

"Alright!" _If I go to sleep, I'll get to see Jamie sooner!_

August 1 7:00 AM

I woke up with a start. _Thank goodness. No nightmare. Wait, where am I?_ Then I remembered. The invasion. The caves. I was the first one up, so I decided to go to the bathroom then head to the mess hall for some breakfast.

"Hey, Ali. How's my favorite 13 year old?" Mrs. Vi must have followed me out.

"I'm 14 now, Mrs. Vi," I corrected.

"Since when? I'm pretty sure I would have remembered," she said in disbelief.

"Yesterday. In all the confusion, I forgot, too."

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's cool. In truth, you gave me the best present ever: my life."

"How's that?"

"You warned me about the invasion. You saved me from my death."

We were both silent for a little while. When we entered the bathing caves, we parted ways. We left together and headed to the mess hall. Inside, food was spread out on the counters.

"What's with all this?" I asked. There were Pop Tarts, cereal bars, juice pouches (albeit warm), eggs, bacon, and so much more.

Jamie lit up at the sight, "After a raid, everyone pigs out on the perishables. They don't last long in the desert, so we have a giant feast. What do you want? I'll go get it, and you can pick a seat!"

"I'll have a Pop Tart," I didn't want to take the food from those who obviously hadn't had it in forever.

"Okay," he had a mischievous gleam in his eye.

I sat down at the table where Melanie was sitting. "Hey, kid. What's up?"

"The ceiling. And you?" she laughed at my response.

"Just chilling. Hey, I noticed something."

"What's that?"

"My brother seems to be crushing on you. What are your thoughts on him? Be honest," she was grinning.

"Well-" Jamie arrived and I faltered. Melanie gave me a pointed look that said, _We'll finish this later_.

Just then, I noticed how much food Jamie had with him. "Are you planning on eating all that yourself?" I asked, slightly amused.

"No, it's for both of us."

"Okay," I said. I didn't think I could eat all that, but I wasn't about to hurt Jamie's feelings.

He gave me a bowl of eggs, a foil package of Pop Tarts, and two juice pouches. "Eat up. Sharon works us hard."

His enthusiasm was infectious. I actually managed to eat it all. Melanie just smiled over her coffee, eggs, and toast. Jared joined us at some point during breakfast. He had even more food than Jamie did, and this food wasn't for two! Ian and Wanda were a little late. Melanie teased Wanda mercilessly. I just sat there, rather confused.

"Sorry, Ali! You haven't heard the story yet!" Jamie was sincerely apologetic. Just then, Sharon walked in and called "the class" over. "Wanda, can we do the story in the after dinner class?"

"Sure, sweetie! See you soon," she replied. I could tell they had a deep bond, but I didn't know why. They didn't look anything alike.

We walked to class. Jake and Adelle were holding hands. I figured it was just a matter of time before something happened. I saw the way they looked at each other at diving practice. The two of them were on the team, I just watched because Adelle was my ride home from school. My fosters never really cared about extracurricular activities.

We entered the main cave and took a right. The hallway was darker than the other caves were.

When we got there, Mrs. Vi was sitting on a ledge in the cave. "Jeb told me to stop by. Said I could help with the Lit and such, so, here I am."

I smiled. _I loved having Mrs. Vi for the Band, so this shouldn't be much different_, I thought.

Boy, was I wrong. Sharon was such a kill-joy. Every time Mrs. Vi spoke, she was shot down. I wanted to strangle Sharon by the time lunch came, and the day wasn't even over. I struggled through the second half of the day. Mrs. Vi left to go work in the fields, and honestly, I couldn't blame her.

August 1 7:30 PM

Jamie and I just spent the last two hours in the Rec Room playing soccer. I'll have to admit, he was good. I can't get down the field without tripping, but he said we'll work on it. As we walked to the mess hall, I heard a voice yell my name. I turned around and saw Melanie in the entrance corridor. I guessed she wanted to finish our earlier conversation. _She sure is persistent,_ I thought. I told Jamie to go on without me.

"Well? What's the answer?" _and direct_, I finished.

"Well… this morning, I probably would have said that I did think he was cute. But know, I know for sure that I like him back. He's so sweet and loving, and I can tell he really cares about things," I finally said. "Is it obvious?"

"Yes!" she flashed a smile and then ran off, leaving me to revel in what I just admitted.

_I love him_.

**A/N: Wow! 100 views and counting! I just want to say that most of my posting will be done on the weekends, so if a couple days pass and I haven't updated, don't give up on me. I also want to promise that I won't be one of those authors that says, "In 10 reviews I'll post the next chapter," because those kinds of people annoy me. Hope you enjoyed it!**


	6. Chapter 5

August 1 7:40 PM

I hurried back to the mess hall. Jamie saw me rush in and smiled.

"Let's eat with Wanda tonight, Ali. Then, she'll tell us the story of how she came here!" Jamie said.

I smiled back at him and then went to look for Wanda's tell-tale curls. She was sitting with… Melanie! Wanda looked up at me, her grin melting to embarrassment. She whispered back to Melanie, and the two of them shut right up. _Melanie told! The little rat. She can't keep anything a secret, can she?_

Wanda can't lie, I learned that when I first met her. My little "secret crush" just went up in smoke. Once someone knows something in these caves, the news travels fast.

"Wanda! I can't wait to hear the story," Jamie was back already. The guy sure was fast, or was I standing here like an idiot for 5 minutes?

"Jamie, why don't you tell Ali? You know the story by heart," Wanda laughed at his enthusiasm.

"It would be better if you told the newcomers the story, don't you think? That way, no one has any questions," Melanie cut in, smooth as ice. A look of understanding passed between the two women. Melanie was up to something, but I couldn't tell what.

Everyone was eating, so I started to as well. Jamie made the best PB&J known to man!

It was like heaven! My banana was delicious as well. When it was announced that there was ice cream, Jamie started to stand, but I told him that I would get it. I got in line and saw Adelle and Jake walk up, holding hands. I smiled and gave Adelle a discrete thumbs-up. She smiled back and whispered something to Jake. Then, she came over. "So how's it going with Jamie?"

"Can anyone keep a secret around here?" I asked. Next, Mrs. Vi is going to come over. I can just feel it.

"No. Not even you. I could tell just by the way you- Hey! You're doing it again," she said.

"Doing what?" I replied. Jamie looked so cute sitting there with the older guys.

"Sitting there, ignoring everything I say, and staring at Jamie. You wanted how I know, there it is," my face burned with embarrassment. I looked at Adelle who, by now, was laughing at me. "It's okay, kid. It happens. If you want something to be a secret next time, try not to make it so obvious."

I got the ice cream soup and brought it back to the table. Jamie smiled at me. We were sitting next to each other. At some point during Wanda's story, Jamie's hand found mine. We just sat like that: one hand holding the other.

When Wanda finished, a lot was cleared up for me. I understood the glances Wanda and Melanie shared, and why Wanda was so affectionate towards Jamie.

"Ali, why don't we go for a walk?" Jamie turned on the charm. It was impossible to say no.

"Okay. Where to?"

"You'll see," he was rather cryptic at times.

We walked for a while. Jamie was a little taller than me, but he walked slowly so that I could walk with him. Our fingers were still entwined. He led me down a corridor and stopped. "I wanted to ask you something, but I didn't want my nosy sister to hear."

"What is it, Jamie?"

"Will you… will you… will you come play soccer with me?" he looked kind of conflicted. _Man, he chickened out. Oh well._

"Sure! You'll have to help me, but I'd love to," I said. I tried not to show the way I truly felt, and I think it worked.

We ran in the Rec Room passing the ball back and forth for a long time. Then, my "family" came in for bed.

"Alright you two, it's 10:00. Let's hit the sack," Sabrina could be such a party pooper sometimes.

"Jake, Luke, would you like to bunk with me? I've got room," Jamie asked. I was relieved at this, but I felt bad for Jamie. He had no idea about the storm of snores he was welcoming into his room.

"Sure!" Luke was ready to be back with just guys. He had a close friend group that he left behind in Coltsberg.

The two of us met by chance. I was homeless at that time, running from my "birth home." Luke took one look at me hiding in his sister's playhouse and ran inside. I was too hungry to move, so I just stayed in my little ball. Luke brought his mom, Mrs. Shay, out to the little structure. She was a social worker, so she knew what to do. In her hands were a water bottle and some crackers. She was able to get into the playhouse to feed me, for I was too weak to do it myself. She had Luke crawl in and pull me over to the opening where she could get me. Even though he was just 8, he was able to easily pick up my broken frame and take me to the opening. Mrs. Shay took me inside and cleaned up my wounds, which were pretty extensive.

I was covered in my own blood. The burns on my arms never healed right, so I always wear sleeves that go to my elbows. The skin on my back was in shreds. My father was a cruel man. Whether it was whipping, burning, or throwing, punishment came. It didn't matter if I was good all day, my father beat me every chance he got. One day, I had enough. At the age of 6, I didn't know how to survive alone, so I struggled to get out of the town I was in and into Coltsberg. I don't remember where I was born or what town I lived in for 6 years, nor did I want to. It was a place of bad memories.

My father wished I didn't exist, and my mother died when I was born. I guess he blamed me for her death.

Mrs. Shay took care of me until I was well enough to go to an orphanage. I didn't know my real name, so she gave me one. _Allison Joy Greene_. I used to repeat it every day before I went to bed, softly so the other girls wouldn't hear. I was around the Shay's house a lot. The first couple that took me in lived right across the street, so I naturally became friends with Adelle and Luke. Luke taught me how to fight, and Adelle taught me how to have fun. With their help, I was back on my feet. I had a new life.

I fell asleep reminiscing about the past.

August 10 12:00 PM

I sat in the mess hall waiting for Jamie to get back from school. After that first day of Sharon's class, Mrs. Vi asked Jeb if Adelle, Jake, and I could come and work instead of sit in Sharon's class all day. Jeb said no, but the two compromised and said the three of us could have Mrs. Vi as a teacher instead of Sharon. The up side was that we got break more often. The down side was that I couldn't talk with Jamie until lunch, and even then we didn't get much time.

Jamie finally rushed in and found me. I had already grabbed a large portion of the cold soup for him because I knew that all the field workers would get lunch before him. I didn't want the guy to starve.

"Thanks, Ali," he said brightly. I don't understand how he can be so chipper after spending a morning with Sharon.

Sensing my confusion, he said, "I spent the entire morning session planning tonight. I have a surprise for you!"

At that, my face reddened. He was thinking about me? Little did he know, during Literature, I wrote poems about him. Mrs. Vi knew I liked him, so she wasn't shocked when I turned the first one in yesterday.

_The guy of my dreams:_

_He's so gentle, kind, sweet._

_I like him a lot._

I know that Mrs. Vi doesn't like haikus (the name sounds like a scene), but I just had to write it.

I finished my food, just in time to say good bye to Jamie. Mrs. Vi wanted to go ahead and get the other half of the day done with. I tuned her out, day-dreaming about what Jamie had planned.


	7. Chapter 6

August 10 6:30 PM

Wanda and Mel kidnapped me and dragged me to Mel's room. "What are you doing?"

"Well, if you're going on a date with Jamie, you need to look nice! Right, Mel?" Wanda looked so excited. I practically see her glowing.

"Well of course!" Mel replied, a smile on her face.

"Where is he taking me?"

"I'd never tell! And before you ask, Wanda knows nothing," Jamie sure could plan a surprise.

"Here," Wanda said, handing me a towel and some soap. I heard that before they had Wanda and Sunny to help on raids, they had to use cactus soap. The thought of it just makes my skin burn.

"I just had a bath this morning!" I complained.

"Well, if we're going to do anything with your hair, it's got to be wet. No buts," Mel said sternly. With that, she sent me out the door.

I trudged to the bath caves. When I finished with my bath, I must admit I felt a lot cleaner. The dust sort of envelops you in the caves. I returned to Mel and Jared's caves feeling refreshed.

"Where's Ian? You two are joined at the hip," I teased Wanda.

"He and Jared are helping Jamie set up," Wanda replied.

"Actually, they're on a raid with Jamie, getting stuff for tonight. Sunny went with them to actually get the stuff," Mel corrected. I was shocked. "My brother really likes you," was all she'd give as an explanation.

The two women worked together to get my blonde hair into…I'm not sure what to call it. It was like a French braid that started on my left side and traveled to the right side of my head, but not all of my hair was pinned up. The rest of my long hair was left down.

Because it was still summer, Wanda picked a sundress for me to wear. She was a little bigger than me, but I was still growing. The dress was a pretty shade of blue, deep like the ocean. It fit perfectly.

"Wow. You look amazing!" Mel stood back to admire her work. Wanda joined her. The two women smiled, and Wanda handed me a mirror.

Back in Coltsberg, I knew some girls who thought you had to be covered in make-up to even be considered pretty. One look in that mirror and I knew that they were wrong. I had no make-up and my scars were showing, but I didn't care. Mel and Wanda transformed me into another person.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I said.

Just then, there was a knock on Mel's door. She answered and outside stood a very embarrassed 14 year old boy. "Hi. Is Ali ready?" just then, he saw me. His face lit up.

"Why yes, yes I am. Where are we going?" he just smiled.

"You'll see," he said cryptically. He was always doing this to me.

He led me down the hall to the main cave. Then he stopped. He covered my eyes with his hands and gently led me down a hall. I had never been down it before, so he walked slowly. When we got there, he said, "Close your eyes. On the count of three, I want you to open them."

I did. "One…two…three!" My eyes flew open and I looked around. Jared and Ian had helped Jamie cover the walls with little lights. There was a radio on a table playing… Paramore!

"I love Paramore! How did you know, Jamie?" I was shocked.

"I just guessed. It seemed like the kind of music you'd listen to."

We danced to all of my favorite songs. Jamie had set up a picnic blanket with some food in the center of the room. We ate fruit and drank some of the best milk I had ever had. It was kept cold in a bucket of ice in the back of one of the cars.

We just lay there for a while after we ate. Jamie looked over at me, and I looked at him. "Ali, I have a question."

"What is it Jamie?" my heart fluttered in my chest.

"I've known you for 11 days. In that time, I've really gotten to know you. So… will you be my girlfriend?"

I was ecstatic! "Yes! A thousand times over, yes!"

We laughed for the rest of the evening, both enjoying the stories the other one told. At some point, we fell asleep, our hands entwined.

**A/N: Okay. Two chapters in one night during the week is pretty good for me, so don't judge this chapter's length.** **Hope you enjoyed it!**


	8. Chapter 7

September 1 3:00 PM

Jamie and I decided to spend the afternoon outside. It was an off day; no one did any "work," unless it was to make his/her own meals. We got free reign of the caves. A lot of the adults liked to spend their time playing soccer. Jamie and I played this morning, but after a while, even he got bored with it.

"So," I said. The silence was kind of getting to me.

"What?" he asked.

"Is that… a rain cloud? I thought it didn't rain here."

"Yeah, it's a rain cloud. Every now and then we have a rainy season. Everyone has to move their stuff to the Rec Room and sleep in there until it's over, as the sleeping caves have ceiling cracks," he replied. He was so nonchalant about it.

"When do you think we'll need to do another raid?" I asked. Jamie hadn't gone on one since I arrived, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to.

"Why, are you anxious to get rid of me?" at this he turned at started to tickle me. "Can't stand me anymore?" he said over the sounds of my laughter.

We fell into a giggling heap. After we had both settled down, Jamie got up and offered me his hand. I didn't need it, but Ian had been giving Jamie lessons in chivalry, so I decided not to refuse the offer. We dusted off and headed inside.

"How's the weather up top?" Jeb asked. We had barely made it to the main cave when he came up.

"A rain cloud or two. Nothing serious yet. It's almost time though," Jamie replied.

Jeb started muttering to himself as he left. "I'm not sure if that's old age, the Stryder-family craziness, or a combination of the two that's making him talk to himself like that," Jamie whispered.

"I may be old," Jeb called, "but I can still hear you!"

Jamie looked at me and we ran off, not wanting Jeb to catch us. I heard him laugh as we turned a corner.

Jamie and I decided we needed to get cleaned up after rolling around in the dust outside. We headed down our separate tunnels. About mid-August, Jeb decided he didn't want his guests to sleep in the Rec Room forever, so he sent everyone on a tunnel search. We found a little hallway on the edge of the Rec Room. It was blocked by some large rocks, but we were able to clear it with some teamwork. Jamie decided to continue sharing a room with Luke and Jake. I shared a room with Sabrina. Adelle, Jane, and Kate shared a room.

Mr. Irons said that we should just call him Wes. Mr. Violet asked us to call him John, and Mrs. Vi said we could call her whatever sounded right. Mrs. Vi and John had a room down the hall. Wes had the cave across from them.

There were other caves available on our hall. Jeb said that he would like to leave a few open for anyone who found themselves in what I now call home.

I entered the little cave that Sabrina and I shared. I grabbed my towel, soap, and other set of clothes, and then headed for the bath caves, which were on the other side of the tunnels. On the way, I saw John and Wes. They were talking excitedly, but quietly. I couldn't hear them. They looked up, saw me, and then stopped talking. _What's going on?_

I continued to the bath caves deep in thought. I got there after Jamie, so I had to wait. He heard me and said, "I'll be out in a little bit, Ali!"

"Take your time," I called back. "I don't have to be anywhere."

He finished up then left. I have to say, he looked pretty hot while soaking wet. Then again, he looked hot all the time.

I went in and got my bath. I put my cargo pants and t-shirt on over my underwear and headed out. Mel was standing outside, but I noticed she didn't have anything in your hands.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Just came to find you. There's something you need to see," she replied. She looked rather nervous. _Mel's never nervous. Something's really wrong._

"Is Jamie hurt?"

"No, Ali, but I'm sure he'd be flattered that you asked about him first." There was no humor in her voice.

We took the shortest route to the hospital caves. Everyone was blocking the hallway. "Hey! Don't you people have lives! Get out of here!" Melanie was livid.

They moved out of our way. Luke and Adelle were sitting around a cot. On the cot there was a woman, no, it was… Mrs. Shay!

"What happened? Is she okay?" I was shocked. _How did Mrs. Shay get all the way down here? Where's Mr. Shay?_

"Ali, she's not Mom. She's a soul," Luke whispered.

Jamie was standing in the corner. He came over when he saw my face. He took my hand and we sat down on the cot next to Mrs. Shay. While she was never my "real mom," she always treated me like one of her own.

"Our best guess is that she was one of the first few in your town that was taken. The soul inside is most likely a seeker sent to find us. There's only one problem. We're out of cryotanks. I can't remember what all Wanda told when she told our story, but one of the conditions she gave Doc in trade for the knowledge was that none of the souls taken out would be killed. That means we can't take out the soul, because without a host body or the cryotank, it would die," Melanie explained.

At that, Adelle started to cry. I was barely able to hold it together. Jamie just held me close, his arms wrapped around me. My tears started soon after. Luke choked out, "When's the next raid?"

"Right now," Jeb replied. "I suggest if you want to go, you pack up real quick and get your butts down to the entrance cave."

I looked up at Jamie. "Can we go?" I whispered.

His eyes lit up, "Yes!"

WE got up and ran to our rooms. I grabbed a bag and put some clothes in it. I ran back to the main cave and saw that I beat Jamie.

"Where do you think you're going, kid?" Jared's voice was rough, like he hadn't slept in days.

"We're going with you," Jamie said obstinately. He arrived just after Jared asked the question.

Jared looked at the two of us, sizing us up. Even though I look small, I do have muscle. I followed Luke's training every day, and now it was paying off. I can run pretty fast, too, but I can't kick a ball to save my life.

"All right, but Jamie, you're responsible for her," Jared finally agreed.

"She can handle herself, but I'll look out for her," Jamie countered.

"Hi, 'she' is standing right here. 'She' also has a name, you know," I added.

The guys just looked at me and laughed. Wanda came up behind me for defense, but honestly, she couldn't defend anything. No one would take her angelic face seriously.

Ian joined us soon after. "Is that all of us?" he asked. "I know Mel isn't coming."

"Why not?" Jared asked.

"Said we'd be fine without her. Didn't want to send out everyone," Ian replied. Everyone but me chuckled. I didn't get it.

"One time, almost every adult wanted to go on the raid. We had to draw straws. Even then, we sent out way too many. It was a miracle that everyone came back alive," Jamie whispered.

"Oh," I whispered back.

The two of us grabbed our packs and set of after the three adults. Well, I guess you could call Wanda an adult. Jamie grabbed my hand as we ran across the desert to the "garage." We set out at a kind of slow pace so that Wanda could keep up. I had no trouble with it. My blonde hair was up in a ponytail so that when I ran, it wouldn't get in my face.

We packed up everything in the Jeep and set out. Thankfully, There were just enough seats. Ian was driving with Jared riding shotgun. I was squished between Wanda and Jamie in the backseat, but I didn't mind. Jamie held my hand all the way to Phoenix.

"Wanda. It's time to switch," Ian said. I could tell that he didn't want to, but it was needed to help us keep our cover. We came to a stop in a deserted lot.

"Ali, recognize this place?" Jared asked.

"Yeah, it's where you found us," I said. _Where my new life began._

Outside, the sky was dark. "We should probably get a hotel room," Jamie said. "None of us look like we've seen a shower in a while."

Wanda agreed. We set down the road until we saw a decent looking motel. It was so clean; I almost didn't think it was a motel. The only motel in Coltsberg was a run-down, sleazy place where all the druggies hung out. Wanda ran in and came back out a few minutes later carrying two plastic keycards.

We all walked in with our stuff and found our rooms. Wanda got two adjoining rooms. She said that the guys would get one and the girls would get the other. Even though I was tired, I still had some questions for her. I waited until we were situated in bed to ask.

"Wanda, what happens when the souls enter your body?"

"Well, that depends. Who are you thinking about?" I think she knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from me.

"Mrs. Shay."

"In Mrs. Shay's case, I don't really know. See, the more a 'host' knows about the souls, they greater the chance of resistance. I don't know how much Mrs. Shay knew before she was taken. We can only hope for the best."

"What if she doesn't wake up?"

"I don't know, sweetie. I guess that Luke and Adelle will get to make that call. Jeb will probably let you help, too, as you know her so well." I noticed how Wanda used the present tense. She's giving me hope.

"Thanks, Wanda. See you in the morning."

"You're welcome, Ali. Goodnight."

**A/N: Wow. I thought long and hard about this chapter. Without the A/N, it's 1743 words. Impressive, right. I'm sorry it took so long to update, our Internet is really weird right now. Oh well. I want to thank every reviewer, follower, and favorite-er (I'm making up words!) of my first story. I will continue it, I promise!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: I am very, very sorry this took so long. My internet was being a jerk. I just thought that I'd mention this- If you want me to make a plot twist or you just want to see some kind of action occur, PM me or put it in a review. I am generally allowing, and if I can figure out a way to put your amazing idea into my story, I will. Thanks!**

**-rubikmaster**

_**September 2 6:00 AM**_

I woke up to Wanda shaking me. "Get a move on, sleepyhead!"

"What time is it?" I've never been a morning person.

"6:00. Just so you know, I let you sleep a little late. You need to dress quickly," Wanda replied.

"Late! 6:00 is late! What kind of sick world do you live in?"

"One that wants to erase your mind if they find out you're human. Let's get a move on!" Jared burst in through the adjoining door.

I got out of bed and went to change. In my bag, I found clothes that I didn't pack. _What on Earth? _"Wanda? Where are my clothes?"

"I saw that all of your clothes were ripped and dirty, so I replaced them with some extras of mine," she giggled.

"What did you do with my other clothes, then?"

"I burned them." When she saw my surprised face, she giggled even louder. "I'm just kidding, Ali. I only put them in the laundry. They should be out soon."

I got dressed quickly. I realized that she was right. I had gotten so used to the rips in my sleeves, that having fabric on certain places in my arms felt weird. The dark-blue blouse I was wearing had elbow length sleeves. I had on black jeans. Thankfully, Wanda didn't take my black converse shoes. I slipped them on and walked out of the bathroom. I got a shower last night so that I didn't go to bed all grimy.

We stopped by the laundry room on our way out. As it turns out, I wasn't the only one who needed laundry done. Everyone sorted through the laundry and grabbed their stuff.

Jamie blushed when Wanda accidentally picked up his boxers.

We left the motel before the sun was out so that we wouldn't have to wear sunglasses. The ride to the hospital was pretty long; we had to make sure we wouldn't be caught. It was just another safety precaution of Jared's, but it was one that kept us alive. I didn't know where we were, but it didn't matter to me.

"Hey, Ali, there's something we need to talk about. It's okay for this trip, but for future trips, we need to do something about your scars," Ian looked like he didn't want to be having this conversation. He and Jared had probably pulled straws to see who had to go.

"What's wrong with the scars?" I hoped I didn't sound too defensive.

"Well… souls don't have scars and wounds. They have advanced medicine that erases things like that," he replied.

"Okay. How does it work?" I was a little hesitant. I had tried everything to get rid of them, but nothing worked.

"Doc will most likely give you some No Pain, cut along each scar, then Seal it and Smooth it. The No Pain does its job. You'll feel it, but it will be like a light tickle. That's how it was for me anyways," Jamie said. I could tell he really believed in this stuff, but I was still pretty unsure.

"I don't know-" I was cut off.

"Like I said, you don't have to worry about it right now. You can think it over back home," Ian assured me.

I felt a lot better after that. The rest of our journey was smooth sailing.

"We're here," Wanda called from the driver's seat.

"All right, here's the plan. Ian, Wanda, and I will go in. Jamie, you and Ali will stay back. I want you to teach her the basic patterns of our mission. Maybe she'll be able to work with us soon," I could tell Jared was trying to make Jamie feel better about being stuck with babysitting duty. It worked, though. Jamie beamed.

"Let's do this thing!" I said.

"When you here the knock, make sure that there's room for the 'tanks," Ian said. He smiled at Wanda. "Don't want to crush anyone."

The three adults left the Jeep. Jamie and I sat there for a little while.

"So, about those patterns," I said, trying to get a conversation going.

"Yeah, basically there are three stages and… who am I kidding? Jared just didn't want the two of us in action," Jamie looked frustrated.

Our little dialogue ended. I heard a little rustle beside me and turned. Jamie had turned to face me. "You know, we've been dating for a while now and I really like you and you're just amazing and perfect and I just think that I will never be good enough to truly date you and-" I leaned over and silenced him with a kiss. He jumped in surprise. Then, he reacted and kissed me back. He kissed me back!

Just then, there was a knock on the side of the Jeep. We straitened up and opened the door. Outside, Ian, Jared, and Wanda had their hands full of cryotanks. "Mission accomplished," Jared said. I smiled at Jamie and gave him the _"It's our secret"_ look.

He smiled back. Wanda looked at us in confusion, probably wondering what happened while they were away.

"Jamie, did the debriefing go well?" Ian asked with a smile.

"Ummm…" Jamie couldn't think fast enough.

Luckily I could, "He tried his best, but it's still pretty confusing. I think that it would be easier to understand if I had visuals."

Ian just looked between the two of us. I figured he guessed our secret. _I hope he doesn't corner Jamie tonight. That could get really awkward._

Jared looked none the wiser. If it didn't concern Mel directly, and sometimes indirectly, Jared didn't really care what everyone else did.

"Let's get back home. I think we can make it without another stop. We need to get these 'tanks back home A.S.A.P." Jared was all business as usual.

Nobody said it, but everyone was thinking, _if Mrs. Shay doesn't wake up, the entire raid will have been for nothing. _I think it was easier for everyone to just keep their thoughts to themselves.

We stopped by a Wendy's for lunch. We had been on the road for a while, and everyone was hungry. I got a large fry and a chocolate frosty. Wanda looked at my and smiled when I asked for it. She ordered the same for herself. The guys got varying sizes of bacon cheeseburgers, fries, and drinks. Jamie got a medium lemonade, which he shared with me. I gave him a frosty-coated fry, and after one bite, he was in love.

There was a lot of small talk on the way home. We reached the "garage" at 10. Everyone pitched in to get the 'tanks back to the caves. As we ran across the desert, I felt a sense of peace, as though everything was perfect. _The world will be perfect when humans can live out of hiding_, I reminded myself.

We got inside and saw that the main cave was deserted. "I guess everyone's asleep," Ian said. "I wouldn't mind some shut eye myself."

"I'll take a 'tank to Doc. You guys can drop the rest off in the morning," I said.

They agreed, so off I went. The hall was long, but I got there quick enough. Doc was sitting on a cot reading a worn copy of some Stephen King book; the book was so worn, I couldn't read the title.

"Hey, Doc, we're back."

"Thank goodness. I wasn't going to be able to keep her under much longer. Her muscles would deteriorate. The souls meds kept her hydrated, though," his eyes looked blood-shot. I wasn't sure if doing the surgery tonight would be a good idea. He grabbed a bottle of something and inhaled. His demeanor immediately changed. "I decided to save this until the surgery. I didn't know when you'd get back."

I laughed. He had me help him get Mrs. Shay onto the "main cot."

"I'm going to need some help with this. I'll walk you through it before we start." I was shell-shocked. Doc really trusted me to be able to do this. I haven't been in a hospital since Mrs. Shay found me, and then I was totally out of it.

"O-okay."

He shoved me where to stand, how to open the cryotank, and how to close the cryotank. He then made an incision in Mrs. Shay's neck with his scalpel. I winced, but I knew she couldn't feel it. Doc whispered words of kindness to the Seeker. It was kind of funny to me how she got all the way here. I mean, Coltsberg is a long ways away from the caves.

"All right, you ready, Ali?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied. I opened the 'tank as instructed. The light flashed as the Seeker was placed in the 'tank.

"We'll send the soul away so that by the time it's even conscious, our grandchildren will have died of old age. Well, maybe not mine. They'd already be dead, if I had them," he laughed at this, as though it were a joke. It didn't seem very funny to me, but I let it slide.

"Goodnight, Doc," I said as I left the hospital cave.

"Goodnight, Ali. Thank you for your help tonight."

I nodded my reply and headed towards my cave. On the way there, I noticed the caves getting darker than they usually were. Then, I blacked out.

_**September 3 5:00 AM**_

"Ali. Ali!" I awoke with a start. The room spun and then my eyes landed on Sabrina. "Hey you. What were you doing sleeping in the hall?"

"What?" I asked. The last thing I remembered was walking to my bed-cave.

"I was walking down the hall then I tripped over you. Are you all right?" Sabrina sounded concerned. I couldn't make out her expression, but based on her voice, I pictured it was alarmed.

"What? Is it not normal to sleep in on a cave floor?" I teased.

"No you doe-doe. It's not normal. You should go to our room."

I said okay then started my journey to the room once again. This time, I made it to my bed. I crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow. My sleep was blissful.


	10. Chapter 9

_**September 3 10:00 AM**_

"Sabrina said she found you passed out on the floor near your bed-cave. Are you okay?" Doc asked. Secrets are nonexistent in the caves; the place where I sleep is no exception.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just tired last night after the raid and all. I guess I just didn't make it back to the cave. No big deal," I said. I was sitting on one of the cots in the hospital. Sabrina dragged me in here the second I was awake. Doc did his thing to make sure I didn't have a concussion or anything.

"You're sure that you didn't pass out?" he said, but it was more of a question.

"Well… I might have passed out-"

"See!" Doc was adamant.

"But nothing bad happened," I added hastily.

"You could have been really hurt. These caves can be dangerous. If you were that tired, why didn't you stay in here and rest?"

"In case you haven't noticed, these cots aren't the most comfortable beds in the caves. I would have been better sleeping on the floor. At least the floor has dirt to soften the feel of the rocks," I said.

Just the, I saw something move in my peripheral vision. Doc noticed it, too. We looked up and saw Jeb and Jamie standing in the doorway. "Y'all should keep it down in here. They can probably hear you all the way in China. They may not understand a word of it, but they'd hear you alright," Jeb joked. "Ali, we all care about you, my nephew especially. We want to make sure you stay safe, just as we want everyone else to."

I nodded because it's better not to argue with Jeb. He'll twist your words so much that you'll end up rooting for the opposing side.

"Are you okay?" Doc asked again.

"Yes," I said.

"Come back if you feel light-headed at all," he commanded. "Jamie, I trust you'll make her come if you notice anything."

_Oh great_,I thought, _he's getting Jamie on his side. I'll never have a free moment again_.

Jamie walked with me to the mess hall. Jeb stayed back at the hospital because he wanted to do a supply check. That probably means there will be another raid soon.

"Hey, you guys, what's up?" Luke said. _He sure is chipper_, I thought.

"Nothing," I said before Jamie could butt in.

I steered him to a table and sat down with him. "Look, I know you're concerned and stuff, but I can take care off myself, sweetie."

He looked a little crestfallen, but I think he understood what I was trying to say.

We went to get breakfast. It was oatmeal today.

Jamie and I didn't have to do school anymore, because both "teachers" had run out of stuff to teach the older kids. Isaiah and Freedom had to go to school still, but we got to work with the others in the fields now.

After breakfast, everyone headed to the fields. We were getting the soil ready for the next crop. I didn't really know, or care, what we were planting, because food was food to me. Work went by fast for me everyday because I got to work with Jamie. Our relationship was doing great, well as great a relationship as two 14-year-olds can have.

Mel cornered me after the morning session was over. "Jamie's birthday is in 2 weeks. I have no idea what to do for him; he's been spending all his time with you lately," she whispered.

"Two weeks!" I whispered back. "We'll need to have a good idea by the next raid. I think Jeb was planning to set up one soon."

"The raid is in three days. Jared, Ian, and I will be going. Wanda wanted to stay back so she wouldn't spoil Jamie's surprise." Wanda was working on her lying skills, but even though she's been a human for so long, she still hasn't been able to hide her tells.

"Can I come too? I'm a pretty quick learner, and I don't take up much space," I begged.

"That's what I was going to ask you. I guess I have my answer?" she said, but it was really more of a question.

"It's a definite yes. How long will we be gone?"

"I don't know. Probably 3 to 5 days. Can you handle being away from Jamie that long?" she teased.

"Only if Ian can survive being away from Wanda," I teased back. The couple was practically joined at the hip. It was kind of funny to imagine them separated.

"It's settled then. Don't let Jamie know you're going. He'll try to get on the raid to, and it's almost impossible to say no to him," she warned.

I laughed and we walked to the mess hall together. We talked about work and life in the caves. "You've adjusted nicely to life in the caves," she commented.

"I've had a lot of practice getting used to new situations. It's kind of second nature now," I replied.

Jamie looked up at me when he heard my voice. He smiled and patted the seats next to him. We nodded and got in line for our plates. Lunch was what we usually had close to the next raid: a hard roll with jelly, some cold mashed potatoes, and whatever we had for dinner the previous night, but cold.

"Sorry, but you guys were taking a while and I was hungry," Jamie apologized, but I could tell he wasn't really sorry.

Mel and I shared a smile. The nice thing about the caves was nobody put anyone else down because of age or size. We all treated each other with a general respect. There were, of course, pranks and teasing, but what family was complete without that?

Just then, Adelle burst into the room. "Ali! Mom's awake!" I jumped up and ran over to her.

"Really, that's great!"

We ran to the hospital. I was shocked to she Mrs. Shay sitting up and looking totally normal.

"Hey, sweetie, I missed you," Mrs. Shay said. I couldn't speak. Last time I saw her, she was dead to the world. Now she looked like she could run a marathon, I mean, she had done it before.

I came and sat next to her. Luke and Adelle were already in chairs. "Doc says I have to wait a little while longer before I can get up. Apparently, there weren't too many foods or fluids they could get in my system. How've you guys been?"

"Okay. I missed you and Dad a lot. Where's he?" Adelle said.

"Your father…he didn't make it. The souls saw that he was 'too resistant.' He's in a better place than this sick world."

"I'll second that motion," Luke said. There was a sad light in his eyes.

We all kind of sat there for a while, just catching up. Then I remembered I had to get back to lunch and work. "I've got to go. I'll see you after I finished in the fields. Jeb should give you and Adelle the day off, Luke."

He nodded and I ran back to the mess hall. Everyone was finishing up, so I didn't have to gulp down my lunch as fast as I thought I would have to. Jamie laughed at me the entire time.

We all headed back to the fields. As I was working, the shoulder of my shirt started to slip. I put it back in its place and noticed something: I had scars. Normally, that wouldn't have bothered me, but I was about to do a real raid. I couldn't have scars running down my arms; I would stick out like a sore thumb. I made my decision then and there: I had to go to Doc.

I looked up and saw Mel looking at me from the other side of the cave. I signaled her to meet with me when we were done. She nodded and we went back to work.

_**A few hours later…**_

"What'cha need, kid?" Mel said in her best Jeb voice.

"On my first raid, the subject of scars came up. As you know, I have a lot of them. Souls don't have scars, so…" I faltered.

"In order to go out in public, you can't have scars," Mel finished. "What are you going to do?"  
"I'm going to get rid of them. Can we do it here, or do we need to do it on the road?"

"I'll go ask Doc. You and I have been doing too many things together to seem ordinary to Jamie. If we can do it here, when would you like it to happen?"

"As close to the time we leave as possible. I don't want Jamie asking questions."

We parted, and I went to go find Jamie. We laughed and teased each other all the way to the main cave. "I'm going to go get a bath. I'll see you soon, baby," I said.

"I love you," he replied.

_**September 6 4:00 AM**_

"Ali, it's time," Mel was shaking me awake. No, she was carrying me through the halls. _That's weird_, I thought.

I woke up and she stopped so I could stand up on my own. "I didn't want to wake Sabrina up, so I carried you. Sorry."

"It's okay. Is Doc ready?" I was scared, but I was ready to get rid of that constant reminder of my past.

"Yes. Does Jamie know?"

"No."

"Would you like me to stay with you?"

"Yes."

We walked into the hospital. "Sit here and open wide," Doc said, patting the cot next to him.

I did what he said; he placed a small square on my tongue. It dissolved so quickly, I wouldn't have known it was there unless I had seen it. Then, something strange happened. I became very calm, and the slight headache I had from waking up so early was gone. "What was that?"

"No pain. I have to cut open your scars no. It won't hurt, but you will feel something," he said. His entire demeanor changed when he was working. He was so focused compared to his light attitude at meals and game time.

"Let's do this."

He took his scalpel and, very gently, cut along each of the lines on my arms and back. There were 30 in all, but some were thicker than others because I got hit multiple times on the same spot. Doc then used "Heal" and "Seal" on the open wounds and the blood and scars were gone. For the first time since I was 6, my arms were bare. My back was truly healed. I felt free.

"Be careful today, okay?" Doc made me promise.

As we left the hospital, Mel said, "You'll probably feel a little high for a while, but don't think you can't get caught. Raiding is dangerous when we have a soul with us. It's even worse without one."

"I'll play it safe, don't worry," I replied.

"I'm going to go wake Jared up. Why don't you get your stuff together and get Ian. I'll meet you in the main cave in 30."

I agreed and ran off to my bed-cave. I saw Sabrina sleeping there and decided to leave a note so I wouldn't freak her out:

_-Sabrina_

_I'm going on a raid with Jared, Ian, and Mel. We'll be doing a usual run, but we're also getting stuff for Jamie's birthday. Please don't tell him why I went, but do tell him I'm on the raid and will come back in 3-5 days._

_-Ali_

I put all of my things together and stuck my note up on the door. Then, I ran down to Ian's room and woke him up. As I left, I saw him kiss Wanda's forehead lightly. _Awwww_, I thought.

I was the first one at the main cave, but the others weren't far behind. We all got ready for our run in the desert, then made a break for it. The stars were so beautiful, and I regretted not being able to share the view with Jamie. _Oh Jamie_, I thought, _He's going to kill me when we get back_.

**A/N: I'm so sorry but I might leave you hanging for two weeks. Unless I can get a posting in tomorrow or Wednesday of this week, don't expect a chapter until two weeks from now. I have a very busy life, but I try my best to do my FanFic-ing regularly. Thank you for being so supportive.**

**-rubikmaster**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: I want to thank seandixon12 for coming up with a ship name. Drum roll puh-lease! Here it is: Jali. Okay. I'm not good at drum-rolling. But hey, it really doesn't matter in the big scheme of things. By the way, you should probably have something nearby to let out your anger with, because if you don't you may wreak whatever device you are using when you get angry at me for writing this cliffie.**

_**September 6 10:00 PM**_

I was in a small room waiting for the others to return. I was guarding the cargo, as Jared put it. I was waiting for the secret knock to sound of the door. My heart was pounding so loudly, I didn't think I would hear the knock, but after a little while, the knock came. *pound-rap-pound* I opened the door to a see a tall, shadowy figure.

"Lights out, little one," it said. The last thing I remembered was the smell of some fruit.

_**Sometime later…**_

I woke up to lots of noise. I tried to open my eyes, but it was too bright.

"How could you, Burns? She's human. Did you not see us inside the Store?" a decidedly angry Mel was shouting at someone.

"Sorry, I didn't know. I didn't think you guys were scheduled for a raid for sometime," a deep voice replied.

"Still, did it not cross your mind that we live here? Anyways, she was hiding in the closet. How did you know she was there? Why would she let you in? Unless… you gave the secret knock, didn't you!? You knew she was with us, so why did you knock her out!?" Mel was furious now; I could tell because she only paused to think/breathe once.

"She opened the door and I didn't recognize her. I feared she would attack me, so I knocked her out. Sorry, but I value my life a little more than Wanda does."

It was then that I let them know I was awake. I groaned because I had a throbbing headache and I couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey kid. You okay?" Ian asked.

"Just peachy," I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I may have a headache, but being a teenager means sarcasm just comes naturally. "Got any No Pain? My head is pounding."

"Sorry about that. We don't have any No Pain," a red-headed adult said. He looked to be about Ian's age. "The name's Burns. I'm like Wanda. Sorry I had to knock you out."

"It's okay. I heard your 'exchange' with Mel. You got a little loud," I replied. He seemed a little surer of himself than Wanda was. I guessed that being souls, the body they were in was a deciding factor in their personalities. "I'm Ali, by the way."

"It's nice to officially meet you."

The three of us were the only ones in the little storeroom. Many of the boxes I had been watching were not there anymore. "Where are the guys?" I asked.

"They're putting stuff in the car. We're going to spend the night at Burns' place. He lives with other refugees. I've never actually been there, but Burns and Nate have been to our place before. They left just before you guys came, actually," Mel told me.

"Cool," I replied.

I got up, but I was a little woozy. I wobbled until I got my balance; Burns helped steady me. Mel and Burns walked to the car, and I stumbled along with them. Soul drugs were great, but nothings prefect.

"We're going to a hospital next, but I don't think we should give her Awake," Ian said when he saw me stumble over. "It could mess with her sleep patterns."

"Thanks, Doc," Jared joked. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Hi, standing right here. I have a name, too, you know," I was a little ticked at how this raid was going; I didn't need them talking about me like I wasn't there.

"Sorry, kid. You ready to get in? You're swaying a lot," Burns was so much like Ian, it's not even funny.

I was teased mercilessly for most of the trip. Burns explained how things worked in his home. Meals are similar to ours, but they're only hot in you microwave them. That's right, they have a microwave! Burns said the layout of their safe house is perfect for the varying amount of people they have. It's a set of cabins up in the wooded part of the mountains. There's a cabin for each gender, each cabin with 10 bunks, and a series of smaller "family" cabins not far off. The also have a real mess hall, a real Rec center, and plenty of space to hide in Seekers ever come. They do have a safety measure against being caught, though. Just recently, a woman came with a duffel bag full of modified contacts. They didn't improve vision, but they made your eyes reflective.

"When were you planning to get us some?" Mel asked, a little upset, probably because she wanted to do things in the open.

"I was planning to bring some down in about a week, actually. We've been working to get enough for everyone to have some," Burns replied smoothly.

He went on to say that wearing them in the camp was prohibited for obvious reasons. I eventually nodded off. When I woke up, I was on a couch, curled up next to Mel.

Everyone was talking in hushed whispers. "I don't know if that's such a good idea, Mel. You could get really hurt."

"I'll be fine. I did it once, I can do it twice."

"Yeah, well the first time was a complete accident, or did you go in there just to rip out my heart? Did you choose to get captured, so that I would have to be the one to say to Jamie that you were taken? Because if so, congratulations, it worked. Our entire relationship means nothing." Jared sounded ticked. There's nothing scarier than a ticked, over-protective boyfriend, especially one like Jared, who's the size of a grizzly bear.

"Guys, calm down. You'll wake up the entire camp with this bickering."

"Fine, Burns. We won't wake up the camp. But back off, this is a private conversation."

"Yeah right, Mel. It stopped being private when you came up with that crazy idea to go in and get captured so that we'd have another soul to help us. I promise: I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN."

I decided that I would stir a little to show them that I was still there. Mel whispered softly, "Ali, are you awake?" I gave no reply, but let my slow, steady breathing speak for me. "I guess not."

They continued to talk in a low whisper, but this time, I couldn't hear them.

Just then, a loud siren filled the air. "Oh no, it's the Seekers!" Burns was really scared. I sat up looking frightened. Mel took me hand and we followed everyone else out of the Rec building. Outside, the air was crisp and the sky was filled with stars. But there was no time to relax and enjoy the night. Everyone ran out into the woods. "Here's how this works. Everyone splits off into groups of two; when the raid is over, we all meet up down in the valley. Do you remember where it is?" I was sleeping at the time, but Mel knew what he was talking about, as did the rest in our party. "Then let's go!"

Mel and I ran as fast as we could up and down the mountain. When we got to a little clearing, we stopped. "We'll rest here and wait it out. You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll get over the fact that I was about to be captured by a silver worn in the back of someone's neck. It'll be totally fine." Even in total fear, I didn't forget how to use sarcasm. Mel laughed. Her laugh was one of the softer, more feminine things about her.

We sat there in total silence for an hour, when Mel heard them. "Get up, they're coming!" We dashed off into the woods again. We climbed and slid for a while. Then, out in front of us, there was nothing. It was a dead end!

"I believe they went this way!"

"I can see many bent tree branches! They are close."

"Be careful, they are most likely hostile."

Mel whispered, "Never give up. You can keep the soul from erasing your mind if you fight."

"I know. But I swear, if I find out you gave up, I will personally kill you. That is not a threat, it's a promise."

"The same goes for you, kid."

We hugged for a minute, and then turned to face the oncoming Seekers. They were getting closer now, and with every crunch of their boots, the death by chasm seemed more and more preferable. A large group of them walked out of the forest and into the moonlit clearing.

"Please, come with us and we will make you whole again."

"We don't want to hurt you."

"Please come away from the cliff. It is a dangerous place to be standing."

Mel gave a single nod and walked forward. In an instant, she was hit with a cloud of Sleep. She collapsed; I ran over to her, but then, I hit the ground too. It was over.

**A/N: Tada! I told you. It's okay, though. Making you people upset is what I do for a living. Thank you for reading up to this point. I might be publishing a Percy Jackson fic, so be on the lookout. I will update this one A.S.A.P. I promise. I ****3 you guys!**


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